Will your information published be censored?

Source: 404 error pages

Have you ever encountered a page error like this while serving on the Internet? It may be a censored webpage.

Censorship of information on the Internet can also mean the consistent actions of monitoring, filtering and web blocking by government and/or private companies. They secretly spy on you through information stored in the Cookie and monitor your actions accordingly. After all, the Internet isn’t as free and open as one might think.

Source: RadioIslam

Internet censorship has become a much-publicised debate that currently has no resolution. There is a huge controversy to whether or not censorship is necessary in maintaining a particular moral standard of people. Even if so, then to what extend that people should have information access to?

Source: Giphy

It seems as if the key argument is “freedom of speech”. If one considers the Internet as a transparent marketplace, he/she may upload anything. People are the product of what they read and facts they’ve gained. The U.S. enforces The First Amendment for Freedom of Speech. Hence, people would have to respect what others are saying even if they disagree. However, the First Amendment, according to The Supreme Court, does not cover Obscenity. Adding on, Freedom of Speech has resulted in problems such as losing jobs for tweeting, marketers tapping upon tragedy for advertising promotion, and the list goes on.

Internet censorship has its good and bad. Below are some of it, however there’s many others too.

Source: Vision Launch

Some example of real-life Internet censorship will be countries such as China, Iran and the well-known North Korea. Because China is so democratic, they fight for their human rights and keep population protected, resulting to huge Internet censorship. Iran, in contrast isolates its people as they regard the Internet as software for serving foreign enemy interest. Needless to say, North Korean censored the whole Internet to the population. Making information on the Internet as not even an option.

Source: The Guardian

I would personally disagree for Internet censorship to be legal. However, to a small extend. People should have the freedom of speech on the Internet. Why is some government being so protective of its citizen? Just imagine if people were controlled, they will try to push the boundaries. Same goes to Internet censorship, because the Internet is so wide to be regulated thus, people will always find ways around censorship. However, judging from the advantages of censorship, it can really help reduce problems such as identity theft and cyber bullying. In conclusion, the Internet is not the issue. Instead, people are the ones. Internet only serves as a tool to transmit their messages.

Lastly, as marketers, will our advertisements be transmitted successfully to the online population?

Source: Gifsec

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References:

Access Denied: Internet censorship around the world (YouTube)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJmS8MAB8s8

Debating Matters: Global Uncertainties | Opinion | The internet is not the problem
http://www.debatingmatters.com/globaluncertainties/opinion/the_internet_is_not_the_problem/

Does the Internet need censorship? 
http://www.debate.org/opinions/does-the-internet-need-censorship

Google Restores Links To Some News Articles After Outcry (The Huffington Post)
By: Mirkinson, Jack.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/04/google-restores-guardian-links_n_5556598.html

Herdict : Home (Herdict : Home)
http://www.herdict.org/ 

History and Debate of Internet Censorship (Internet Censorship Debate)
http://www.debate.org/internet-censorship/

How Internet Censorship Works (YouTube)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfS_2oXVch0

The Internet Censorship Controversy (The Internet Censorship Controversy)
http://courses.cs.vt.edu/professionalism/Censorship/notes.html#6

WMD: Internet Censorship Around the World (YouTube)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7J2wD-eLQk